Suspended sentence for hitting child in face

Alicia Merehan Reiri wept in the dock as she was convicted of assaulting a 6-year-old child who swore at her.

The 28-year-old pleaded guilty to assaulting the child through duty lawyer James Elliott when she appeared before Judge Tony Walsh in Masterton District Court on Thursday.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Garry Wilson said on December 1, Reiri was shopping in Masterton when members of the public witnessed her hit the child on the side of the face.

They rang police.

"The child was crying and holding her face," he said.

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Reiri told police she hadn't hit the child in the face but had "tapped her to the ear", Mr Wilson said. Mr Elliott said Reiri was remorseful for her actions, which was evident as she wiped tears from her eyes as she stood in the dock.

"She accepted it was an over-reaction. There was no injury to the child as a result. She regrets her actions, sir," he said.

He asked for a suspended sentence for Reiri. Mr Wilson said she accepted responsibility for her behaviour.

Judge Walsh told her it was serious to hit someone in the head, especially a child.

"It's obvious you may have been under some stress but to strike a child in the head is always dangerous," he said.

He convicted Reiri and sentenced her to come up if called on within six months and ordered her to pay $130 court costs.